A GDMA Scandal “Scorecard”
For anyone interested, here’s a short list of those who’ve been named as involved in the Glenn Defense Marine Asia, Ltd – AKA GDMA – scandal.
CDR Jose Luis Sanchez, USN – pleaded guilty earlier this month to bribery charges. He was the subject of yesterday’s TAH article regarding the GDMA scandal.
John Bertrand Beliveau II, NCIS Supervisory Special Agent – pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges in December 2013. Beliveau admitted to providing GDMA information on NCIS investigations into their business dealings.
PO1 Daniel Layug, USN – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery charges in May 2014. Layug was providing classified ship movement schedules to GDMA officials as well as competitor pricing information.
Alex Wisidagama – former executive at GDMA and cousin of the GDMA CEO, Leonard Glenn Francis, pleaded guilty in May 2014 to participating in a scheme whereby GDMA grossly overcharged the US Navy for costs associated with services performed during port calls. In one such visit – by the USS Mustin to Laem Chabang, Thailand, in 2011 – the overcharges appear to have totaled $1.5M for a single port call.
Edmond A. Aruffo, LCDR, USN (Retired) – pleaded guilty in July 2014 to participating in GDMA’s scheme to overcharge grossly the USN for costs associated port calls.
So far, two other individuals – Leonard Glenn Francis, CEO of GDMA, and CDR Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, USN, have submitted and maintained “not guilty” pleas to bribery and conspiracy charges associated with the scandal. Both are accused of bribery and conspiracy. (Interestingly, Misiewicz is a former CO of the USS Mustin.) He was indicted on seven additional charges recently – after CDR Sanchez pleaded guilty.
Stay tuned. This one continues to seem . . . interesting.
This rabbit hole goes deep.
No matter how much money it looks like, time in the federal prison after paying a hefty fine is never going to be worth it. Just think of the monthly retirement checks that won’t have to be written now.
Unfortunately, at least one of those individuals will likely keep their retirement. I believe Aruffo retired before he became involved. And I’m relatively sure his crime isn’t on the short list that revokes the right to a Federal pension check.
I don’t know whether Federal law allows him to receive retired pay while incarcerated, but if/when he’s released he’ll certainly be entitled to it.
That’s depressing. Here’s some good news to cheer everyone up: Barbara Boxer is retiring (http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-boxer-retire-20150108-story.html).
Let’s party.
Not until I can empty a keg’s worth of re-processed beer on her grave.
I expect her corpse to melt….
Not yet, she is still part of the un-holy trilogy: Barbie, Diane & Nancy… But the news of her pending retirement does make me smile.
Thank Christ.